Washing machine



C. W. DUNMIRE AND S. C ENCK,

WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR.29.1920.

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C. W. DUNMIBEAND S. C. ENCK.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.29,1920.

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APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. 1920.

0. W. DUNMIRE AND S C" ENCK.

C. WJDUNMIRE AND S. C. ENCK.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1920.

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for its object to provide a device of this omrso STATES PATENT orncs.

CHARLES W. DUNMIRE AND SCHUYLER C. ENCK, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Patented aul s, 1922.

Application filed April 29, 1920. Serial No. 377,586.

WASHING MACHINE.

1,422,940, Specification ot Letters Iate nt.

To an whom it may cmwem Be it known that we, CHARLES W; DUN

MIRE arid SCHUYLER C. Enom'citizens of\ i the United States residing at Philadelphia, in the county of lhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Washing Machines, of

which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to new and useful lmprovements 1n washing machines, and has character whereinthe clothes will be washed by pounding them with resilient pounders which also have certain pneumatic and suc- 'Flg. 3.

tion actions, said 'pounders being rotated at each upward stroke to change their positions relative tothe clothes.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide means for revolving the clothes container after the clothes have been washed whereby the excess water will be expelled from the clothes by centrifugal action.

A further object of'the invention is to provide a tub housing a perforated clothes container having an intermittent vertical movement during the washing action and having a revolving movement during the wringlng action; a plurality of pounders each located a different distance from the center of their hanger or support, said pounders having a vertical movement and at certain times a rotary movement, each pounder including an inverted cup member with a piston therein with a spring located between a portion .of the plunger and cup member so as toforce the latter downward; and means for transmitting the different motions to the elements referred to at predetermined intervals.

still further object of the invention is to so construct the clothes container as to prevent the water from being splashed over the edges thereof and to-prevent the clothes climbing over the outer edge when the container is being revolved.

With these ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

In .order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, may understand how to make and use the same, we will describe its construction in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanying d wi forming a part of this application, in which.- 1

washing machine.

2, is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3, is an enlarged fragmentary sectional vlew through the tub, parts being left in elevation.

Fig. 4, is a'similar view at right angles to Fig. 3 with the pounder removed.

Fig. 5,1s a further enlarged sectional view of the mechanism for actuating the pounders and clothes container.

Flg. 6, isa section at the line 66 of Fig. 7, is a plan'view of the cross head.

Fig. 8, 1s an'elevation thereof, and

Fig. 9, is a side elevation therewith with the upper portion partially broken away and shown in section.

In carrying out our invention as here embodled, 2 represents a tub suitably supported by a frame 8 of desirable construction adapted to also support the operating means and this frame may be provided with wheels 4 or their equivalent whereby the washing machine may be readily moved about from place to place. I

Within the tub 2, centrally thereof, is located an upri ht tubular bearing 5 having a flange 6 resting upon the bottom of the tub through which pa$ suitable fastening means 7 for holding the bearing in place and the bore of this bearing communicates with a hole 8 through the bottom of the tub. The upper end of the tubular bearing 5 is provided with an outwardly projecting rib or ledge 9 which at certain times will engage projections 10 intermediate the length of the dogs 11 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The dogs 11 are attached to the inside of the sleeve 12 which carries the clothes container l3,sa.id container being circular in plan as shown in Fig. 1, with .an interior hub projecting from t e bottom thereof and gradually tapering from the bottom of the container to a point intermediatethe height of said hub as plainly shown in Fig. 3, while the bottom thereof and portions of the sides are perforated as at 14. The inner edge of the clothes container or in'fact the edge of said hub is provided with an inturned 'roll flange 15 while the outer edge has a greater or wider inturned roll flange Fig. 1, is a plan view of our improved 16. These flanges prevent the water being splashed or thrown over the sides of the container in its downward movement while the wider or outer flange 16 prevents the clothes climbing or moving upward over the edge of the container when the latter is being revolved as will be presently described.

Within the upright bearing 5 is slidably and revolubly mounted an axle 17 having an annular groove 46 adjacent its upper end for cooperation with the dogs 11 so that the clothes container will be raised with the axle and carrying a head 18- at its upper end on which is detachably mounted the beater supporting spider 19 the latter being held in place by a set screw,20 or its equivalent passing through the hub and engaging the head 18 which is preferablyv spotted as at 21.

The spider has a plurality of radial arms 22 each of which is of different length so that their outer ends travel in concentric circles of diiferent radii.

In the outer end of, each arm 22 is adjustably mounted a piston rod 23 the upper end of which is threaded as at 24 and this end passes through the arm with nuts 25 screwed thereon, one nut on each side of the arm for holding the piston rod in its adjusted position. On the lower end of the piston rod 23 is mounted a piston 26 preferably carrying a washer 27 and said piston is housed by or located in the inverted cup shaped pounder member 28 which is slid'ably mounted in the piston rod and carries a central outwardly projecting tubular spring housing 29, the outer end of which is closed by a cap or dome 30. Within the spring housing 29 is located a spring 31 coiled about the piston.

rod with one end resting against the pounder member as the movable elements and the other end rest against a pin 32 passing through the piston rod as the stationary element so that said spring normally forces the cup shaped pounder member downward over the iston. 1

' T e axle 17 is provided with a keyway 33.

by which the combined ratchet wheel and friction gear 34 is splined thereto through the medium of the key 35. The combined ratchet wheel and friction gear 34 has ratchet teeth 36 anda beveled friction surface 37 and is provided with a collar 38 by which it is adjustably attached to a hanger ring 39 resting upon ball bearings 40 which run upon the cone bearing 41 secured to the underside of the tub 2.

'The lower end of the axle 17 carries a b l 42 by which said axle is revolubly connected with the cross head 43, the latter having a chamber for the reception of the ball and provided with runways for the ball bearings 44 all of which are retained in place by a cover 45 detachably connected to the cross head. The cross head slides in guideways 47 forming a part of the frame and has a trunnion 48 to which is connected one end of the pitman 49, the opposite end being connected with the worm gear 50 which is counter weighted directly opposite the point of connection and this worm gear meshes with the worm 51 loosely mounted on the shaft 52 said worm revolving with the shaft when the clutch member 53 is caused to engage said worm and this shaft 52 receives its motion from a motor 54 through the medium of a pulley 55 on the motor shaft and a pulley 56 on the shaft 52 both pulleys having a belt 57 running OVBl'llllGIIl. Said belt is maintained in a taut condition by a belt tightener comprising a lever 58, a roller 59 and a spring 60, the tension of which may be varied, for holding the roller in contact with the belt 57. a

On the shaft 52 is loosely mounted a bevel gear 61 meshing with a bevel gear 62 mounted on the lower end of the vertical shaft 63 which carries at its upper end a bevel friction pinion 64 engaging the bevel friction gear portion 37 of the member 34 so that when the clutch member 53 is caused to engage the bevel gear 61 motion will be transmitted to the axle to'revolvethe same and when so revolved the sleeve 12 must be telescoped over the head 18 and attached thereto by the set screw 65 or its equivalent to cause the clothes container to revolve at high speed for expelling the excess water from the clothes in the container.

At each upward stroke of the pitman 49 the contact pin 66 carried thereby engages the bell crank lever 67 and actuates it in one direction and to this bell crank lever, one arm of which is offset fromv the other, is connected the ratchet 68 adapted to engage the ratchet wheel portion 36 of the member 34 and intermittently rotate the axle 17 at the upper end of each stroke of said axle and while these movements are taking place the beater spider 19 with the pounders is attached to the head 18. The ratchet 68 is returned by a spring 69 connected to the ratchet support and a portion of, the frame and the tension of said spring may be regulated by the burr 70.

The operation of the device is as follows:

A suflicient amount of water containing soap or other Washing element is placed in.

the tub and the clothes are put in the clothes container after which the piston rods 23 are adjusted in the arms 22 so that on the downward stroke of the pounder members 28 the pistons will contact with the clothes and slightly compress them. When properly adjusted, the clutch member 53 is thrown into engagement with the worm 51 and the motor started causing the said worm to revolve and transmit motion to the worm gear 50, which through the pitman 49 will re ciprocate the axle 17 vertically causing the pounder members to beraised and lowered.

At the downward stroke of the axle 17 the dogs 11 will look into the groove 46 thus connecting the clothes container to the axle so that said container will be drawn upward through the water in the tub by the axle and at some time during said upward movement, but before the axle reaches the end of its stroke, the dogs are disengaged from the groove 46 by reason of the projections 10 in said dogs contacting with the ridge-or ledge 9 on the tubular upright bearing permitting the clothes container to sink into the water, the perforations producing jets or streams of water which are forced into the clothes. v

After the clothes container has been released from the axle 17 the latter continues to move upward which will bring the contact pin 66 into engagement with the'bell crank lever 67 thus actuating the ratchet to rotate the combined ratchet wheel and friction gear 34 which will rotate the axle 17 and likewise the pounder members to change their positions relative to the clothes in the con"- tainer, so that the pounder members will not strike the clothes in the same place twice in succession.

When the axle is at its highest point the pounder members should be out of the water so that air may enter them and when they are drawn downward by the downward movement of the axle, the inverted cup shaped members will enter the water and contactwith the clothes which will arrest them, then the pistons will be driven outward or downward forcing the air from the cup shaped members through the clothes propelling the water before it until the pistons reach the lower edges of the cup shaped members at which time further downward movement of the pistons will cause the pounders to compress the clothes and force additional water from the clothes.

At the end of the downward stroke of the axle 17 the dogs 11 will again engage the groove' 46 to lift the clothes container along with the pounders for a certain distance as before described, and when the container is released, its downward movement and the continued upward movement of the pounders will relieve the pressure on the cup shaped members so that the springs will force them downward over the pistons which will produce a suction to draw water through the clothes and the continued forcing of the water through the clothes in different directions by the actions of the pounders and container will thoroughly cleanse the clothes.

After the clothes are washed the axle is raised to and stopped at its highest point and the spider 19 with the pounders removed, then the axle is moved to its lowermost position and the sleeve 12 carrying the clothes container is fastened to the head 18 by the set screw after which the axle is again raised to its highest position so as to withdraw the clothes container, still holding the clothes entirely from the water in the tub. The clutch member 53 is then thrown into engagement with the bevel gear 61 and the motor again started which will transmit a revolving motion to the axle through the medium of the gear 62, shaft 63, friction pinion 64 and combined friction gear and ratchet wheel 34 and as the clothes container is now attached to the axle said container will be revolved at high speed causing the excess water to be expelled from the clothes and into the tub through the perforations by centrifugal action. The inturned roll flange 16 will prevent the clothes being thrown from the container during this wringing process.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that we have produced a washing machine which not only mechanically washesthe clothes but which also wrings them without removing them from the clothes container and it is to be particularly noted that because of the different lengths of the arms 22 of the spider 19 practically the entire surface of the clothes in the container is acted upon by the pounders during the washing process.

Of course we do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction as herein shown as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and useful is A washing machine comprising a tub having a hole in the bottom thereof, a tubular bearing mounted in said tub and communieating with said hole, a sleeve surrounding said bearing, a perforated clothes container carried by said sleeve, an axle slidably and ro tatably mounted in said bearing, means for connecting the sleeve to the axle for raising the contalner during the upward stroke of the axle and other means for actuating the fiist named means to disconnect the sleeve from the axle at a predetermined time to permit the container to fall.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures.

' CHARLES W. DUNMIRE.

SOHUYLER C. ENGK. 

